The Method of Levels: How to Do Psychotherapy Without Getting in the Way

Based on Perceptual Control Theory, PCT (explained in the foreword), this therapeutic method, called The Method of Levels (MOL) leaves the patient in control with no interference from the therapist. Author Tim Carey shows how you can ask very simple questions about background thoughts to assist a friend in distress. Without offering advice or commentary of any kind, you can help your trusting friend review his or her problem, finding his or her own solution by "going up a level," looking at his or her own internal conflict "from above" and finding ways to resolve it by changing his or her sense of what is important-changing how he or she looks at the internal conflict. While working for Scotland's National Health Service Dr. Carey used the approach described in this book exclusively with his primary care patients. Some of his colleagues learned MOL from Dr. Carey and used it too. MOL achieved a new level of service efficiency such that a 15 month waiting list was reduced to 0 months. From a review by Kalen Hammann: I've just finished the Method of Levels, and I'm astonished, delighted, and inspired. I was a psychotherapist for many years, using a variety of approaches (predominantly Gestalt Therapy, several versions of family therapy, and more recently Psychology of Mind), and while my clients were often happy with the results, I frequently wasn't. My fundamental dissatisfaction arose from the fact that I never knew WHY we were successful when we were, and what had gone wrong or failed to go right when we weren't. Now I think maybe at last I know.

Sobre el autor (2006)

Timothy A. Carey began his professional life as a preschool teacher. He then obtained a Graduate Diploma in Special Education for the Severely to Profoundly Multiply Handicapped and taught in special schools. His training in special education provided him with the opportunity to focus on behavior management. He began working as a behavior management advisory teacher in primary schools and then secondary schools assisting both teachers and students to negotiate their school days more satisfactorily. While never relinquishing his passion for teaching, he pursued undergraduate and then postgraduate studies in psychology at the University of Queensland. Along the way he got married in Las Vegas and rode shotgun in a helicopter through the Grand Canyon to start his honeymoon. He also watched the sun set over the Golden Gate bridge as the 20th Century came to an end.

His PhD research investigated the obscure but dramatically important topic of countercontrol-something first mentioned by B. F. Skinner-culminating in the award of a PhD in Clinical Psychology. From that research he has published articles on countercontrol with his friend Tom Bourbon. He has also published a book about a school discipline process with his wife Margaret and has published other articles as well, mostly about the Method of Levels.

With a shiny new PhD he travelled half way round the world to work as a clinical psychologist in Scotland where he set about learning as much as he could about the Method of Levels.

After almost 5 years in Scotland he returned to Australia to take up a position as Course Convenor of the postgraduate clinical psychology program at the University of Canberra. He had obtained an MSc in Statistics at the University of St Andrews while he was in Scotland and he had conducted a series of studies with colleagues about the use of the Method of Levels in clinical practice. This work continues through collaborations he established with colleagues at the University of Manchester. At the University of Canberra, Tim supervised students in both research and clinical practice while the students were completing a Master of Clinical Psychology degree and he taught courses about professional psychological practice and advanced counseling psychology.

He spent nearly 3 years in Canberra before the opportunity to extend his skills and apply his knowledge in new areas arose again. He now holds the position of Associate Professor in Mental Health through the Centre for Remote Health in Alice Springs, Northern Territory. In this position he also works with the Central Australia Mental Health Service. Being able to blend research and clinical practice is one of his favorite things and the challenge of helping to find ways to provide best practice health services in remote Australia is exciting and important.

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The Method of Levels: How to Do Psychotherapy Without Getting in the Way